Major new horse event gears up -- (Sep 8) New Zealand and Australian based companies have been quick to sign on for trade space at the upcoming event, Horse New Zealand, to be held at the Waikato Events Centre in Hamilton on November 26 and 27, 2004.

Horse New Zealand director Jacquie Webby, who has worked on the idea for almost two years, is delighted with the response from those involved in the horse industry and says that for an inaugural event, the response has been terrific.

"Horse Zealand 2004 is designed to showcase the New Zealand Horse and the Horse Industry," she said. "This means not only horse breeds, but everything to do with the horse. When you consider that New Zealand prides itself on being the Kentucky of the Southern Hemisphere as far as our horse industry is concerned, this event is designed to display the very best the country has to offer."

Exhibiting alongside studs, horsefloat manufacturers, rug and saddlery designers and suppliers, horse food and health products, are a whole range of associated products such as clothing for the showring and leisure riding, farrier displays, booksellers, horse transport operators and at least five offshore companies who are coming in from Australia for the event.

"In addition to the trade stands, there will be a number of other special attractions," said Jacquie. "The Hall of Specialists will feature leading local and international equine vets and one of Australia's finest horse herbalists. The lectures will be held over both days upstairs at the venue.

"Outside in special demonstration areas and in the main oval, visitors to the venue will see exciting events such as the mounted games group who have just returned from the international championships in France, live horsemanship and farrier demonstrations and a number of other special attractions. The programme should appeal to everyone who visits."

Extra prizes for Irish horses -- (Sep 6) The Irish Draught Horse Society of New Zealand is offering special sashes and medals for its championship horses.

The North Island Irish Horse Championship is being held in conjunction with the North Island All Breeds In Hand Show on January 4-5, 2005 at the Waikato Events Centre. The South Island Championship will be held at the Canterbury Horse & Pony Breeders 32nd annual show on February 12, 2005 at Canterbury Agricultural Park. Schedules are available early October from the Secretary (contact details).

The Grand Champion (NI) and Supreme Champion (SI) Irish Hunter will receive Shamrock Sashes and Society Medals. Horses must be registered with the Irish Horse Society NZ to be eligible for these championships but exhibitors need not be a member of the society.

Olympic dressage results a boost for NZ based stallion -- The choice of Worldwide as replacement stallion for Dynamit (dec) has been vindicated for Vollrath Hanoverians, after the huge success of horses of the same bloodlines at the recent Olympic Games. Hanoverian stallion Worldwide, from the Weltmeyer sire line and whose damsire is the great Brentano II, was national novice dressage champion in 2000 and Medium Dressage Champion at the 2002 Horse of the Year show. A ligament injury forced a break in his career last year.

Olympic dressage gold medalist Salinero is by a grandson of Salvano, whose dam Dina is a full sister to Dynamit; bronze medalist Beauvalais is by Bolero, the sire of Brentano II; fourth placed Brentina is by Brentano II; and fifth placed Wansuela Suerte is by Warkant, a son of Weltmeyer's sire World Cup I.

Athens 2004 is possibly the first time the bloodlines of New Zealand based stallions have featured so prominently.

Studmaster Berny Maubach is overthe moone: "Vollrath Stud is very pleased about this as we have youngsters of this bloodline combination in our paddocks. Didn't somebody 'upstairs' look after me when I fell in love with our Worldwide when I first saw him at the age of two!"

New Warmblood pony sire for South Island -- (Sep 1)
The imported German warmblood-type pony stallion Davidoff is standing at stud in the South Island this season. Davidoff, whose sire Dressman is the most successful dressage pony in the world, will be available via AI and natural mating at Ross and Wendy Beaven's Range View Trakehner Stud in Culverden, North Canterbury.

Davidoff's sire, Dressman, won the European team dressage championships for eight times and the individual titles in the years 2002 and 2003. This year an injury prevented him from defending his title, but his daughter, Daphne, competed for the United Kingdom and won the bronze medal with her team. A great addition to her Silver medal in Sweden 1999.

European Championships attract many countries to participate with their young pony riders and are likened to "World Championships for Ponies" due to the size of the competition and the large amount of nationalities competing. Davidoff's bloodlines, on both his sire's and dam's side', are the most successful performance bloodlines available and feature many international champions in pony dressage, showjumping and eventing.

In New Zealand, Davidoff's progeny are just starting out under saddle with excellent results. It will be an exciting opportunity to combine the superb South Island pony bloodlines with these international bloodlines in order to put the New Zealand pony consistently on the shopping list for international buyers. Davidoff is also the first and only warmblood pony sire licensed with the New Zealand Warmblood Horse Association.

Wendy Beaven says: "Ross and I are looking forward to standing at stud this very special pony, after a 'stallion-less' gap of two years since Falkensee left for Australia, and Amarduc left for Auckland. We feel Davidoff's bloodlines and quality will be a huge asset to pony breeding New Zealand-wide and we were delighted to have this chance to stand him at stud. In particular we hope that the South Island breeders will take the opportunity to view and use him this season. Davidoff will join the other "big" warmbloods here at Range View on our 800 acre irrigated farm set in the heart of the Amuri basin."

Famous arabian stallion hurt in break in -- (Sep 24) In a scene that came straight from the pages of a novel, vandals broke into the stable of author Ron Hevener and turned loose his prized Arabian racehorse, Nahgua.

"It was bloody," Hevener said. "They hit seven stalls." A second horse, in show training and also housed in the stable, busted out on his own and both stallions fought in the closed stable throughout the night. Stable help found them in the morning and vets are monitoring the horse made famous for being returned to glory after being sold to a slaughterhouse. "He's getting the best of everything," Hevener said. "Don't worry about that."

Once named Arabian Race Colt of the Year, Nahgua (registered name Nugui El Khamsin) became one of the early Arabian racehorses to run at Delaware Park. Purchased by Hevener in the early 1990s, the stallion was stabled at the Quentin Riding Club for several years. Nicknamed "The luckiest racehorse alive," his story inspired the novel, "Fate of the Stallion!" and he was featured in newspapers, magazines and on television throughout the world.

"Nahgua is in his twenties now," said Hevener. "He's lost a lot of weight this past year and he's on a special feeding program. I don't think any horse would have got the best of him like this if he had been at his peak. I was just starting to ride him again."

According to investigators, vandals entered the stable through closed doors, releasing the stallion and unlatching empty stalls down the row as they went. "They followed a scene right out of the novel," Hevener noted.

Nicholson third at Blenheim -- (Sep 12) A week after his third place at Burghley, Kiwi rider Andrew Nicholson filled that placing again at the Blenheim Horse Trials, this time riding Flush banker.

British riders Pippa Funnell and Viceroy III and Matthew Wright and Park Pilot filled the top two placings.
Nicholson's other mount, Henry Tankerville, finished in 35th place, while felow New Zealander Joe Meyer was 17th on Ease on Fire.

Andrew Hoy wins Burghley -- (Sep 5) By only 0.2 of a penalty, Andrew Hoy and Moonfleet, lifted the Burghley Challenge Trophy at the Burghley Horse Trials in Lincolnshire, England. Given the breathing space and luxury of two show jumps in hand, after Andrew Nicholson and Lord Killinghurst had rolled an unlucky pole, the Australian used a life at the very first fence and then after making a big mistake at an upright had to go clear over five more fences. Hoy kept his cool to jump the remainder clear and retain his lead to claim his second title albeit an incredible 25 years after his first. "Having a first fence down wasn't what I was anticipating as he had warmed up really well," said Andrew.

The win with Susan Magnier's 13 year old by the former leading National Hunt sire Strong Gale, is some compensation for a disappointing Olympic Games where Andrew got a taste of Greek turf.

Both Andrew Nicholson with Lord Killinghurst and Marie Louise 'Bumble' Thomas with The Psephologist proved amazing consistency at four star level. An immaculately judged clear round by Bumble moved her into second place - one place higher than their third placing at Badminton in the spring. "He gave me yet another fantastic ride cross country," said Bumble.

In a reversal of fortune Andrew Nicholson and Lord Killinghurst, second at Badminton, dropped to third here. Nicholson was also 16th on Mr Smiffy.

Due to masterly performances over yesterday's cross country Andrew Hoy also took fourth place with the 13-year-old Just a Monarch gelding Master Monarch.

In what must prove to be one of the closest finishes just 1.2 penalties seperated the top four.

Kiwi rider Kate Hewlett and Internet produced a clear showjumping round to move from 32nd to seventh, and Blyth Tait on Eze was eighth. Megan Finlayson was 41st on Lion Heart. Burghley was Tait's swansong from international eventing.

English rider dies at Burghley -- (Sep 5) Cheshire rider Caroline Pratt, 42, of Middlewich, died in hospital after being injured during the Burghley Horse Trials in Lincolnshire. Pratt

Pratt, 42, was hurt when her horse, Primitive Streak, fell at a fence called The Lake Crossing. A police spokesman said: "It appears that the horse fell on top of her and she suffered serious crush injuries. She was taken to the Peterborough District Hospital by road ambulance where she later died."

One onlooker said: "It was a most awful looking fall. It appeared that she fell into the water and her horse fell on to her."

Pratt had previously been on the British Olympic long list and had competed at European level and at Badminton.

Jane Holderness-Roddam, Chairman of British Eventing said "On behalf of the whole sport, I would like to extend our deepest sympathy to Caroline's family. The thoughts and prayers of eventing people all over the country are with them at this sad time."